Residents of Kalande, a town in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region, have been sensitized on social auditing as part of efforts to promote community ownership of development projects and policies.

The sensitization on social auditing was also to increase awareness of the citizenry on the operations of the municipality and empower them to demand accountability from duty-bearers.

It was carried out at Kalande by the East Gonja Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as part of its Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP), which was supported by the European Union.

Participants included Chiefs and people of the area, persons living with disabilities, youth groups, and public institutions in the municipality amongst others.

The objective of ARAP was to amongst others deepen the knowledge of the citizenry on corruption, accountability and good environmental practices.

Mr Gariba Sato, East Gonja Municipal Director of NCCE, who spoke during the forum, explained that social auditing was an accountability mechanism where citizens organized and mobilized to evaluate or audit government’s performance and policy decisions.

Mr Sato, therefore, urged residents to take an active interest in local governance activities to promote accountability as well as ensure success of government’s initiatives in the municipality.

Mr Umar Abdul-Fataw, East Gonja Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice spoke about the effects of corruption saying it led to poor service delivery calling on all to report acts of corruption to help fight the canker in the country.

Some of the participants expressed gratitude to NCCE for sensitizing them on social auditing saying it had enlightened them to demand quality services from duty-bearers.